Cube ACR Review: The Call Recorder App for Android and iPhone

Cube ACR is a call recorder app with two very different versions. On Android it records phone calls and WhatsApp-style calls on the phone itself, and on Android 9 or later it needs a second app, Cube ACR Helper, that isn't on Google Play. On iPhone it records by merging a service number into your call, and call recording there is a paid Premium feature.

So does Cube ACR work? It depends on your phone. Before you install anything, look at your phone's own dialer: plenty of Android phones and iPhones now have a free record button built in.

Dana manages 40 rental units in Phoenix. A contractor calls with a new quote for a roof repair, and she wants the numbers on record.

She installs Cube ACR on her Galaxy, taps through the permissions, and records the call. On playback she hears herself clearly. The contractor's side is silence. (Dana is an illustration, not a real customer.)

That "I only hear myself" result comes up again and again in store reviews. The vendor's own pages explain why it happens and what to try.

How this review was built: we didn't test Cube ACR hands-on. Every feature, price and setting below comes from the vendor's site (cubeacr.app), its Google Play, Galaxy Store and App Store listings, and public user reviews on those stores, as of November 2026 (checked on November 12).

Cube ACR at a glance

Short verdict: Cube ACR is still actively updated, and its vendor is open about the limits Android puts on it. Whether it records both sides on your phone is something only a test call can tell you. The Android app is free to try, so test first and pay later, if at all.

Recording a face-to-face conversation instead of a phone call? That's a different job, and it's the one ParrotNotes does: it records the room on your iPhone or Android phone and gives you a transcript and a summary.

How Cube ACR records calls on Android

On Android, the Cube ACR call recorder runs in the background and starts recording when a call begins. The Play listing promises to "automatically record incoming & outgoing phone calls" and to "record conversations on WhatsApp, Google Meet, Line, IMO, Viber, Facebook, etc."

You can record every call, only selected contacts, or tap a widget mid-call. Recordings stay on your phone. The vendor's FAQ is blunt about that: Cube "does not have access to the recording on your device, nor do we have any copies." Delete a file and it's gone, unless you backed it up.

Here's the catch. Android doesn't hand a downloaded app the other person's voice. For years, recorder apps got around that with Android's accessibility services. Then Google changed its Play Store policy, from May 11, 2022: "The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording," as Engadget reported.

Dialers that come pre-loaded on the phone weren't affected. Cube's answer to the policy is the Helper.

What is Cube ACR Helper?

Cube ACR Helper is a free companion app that switches on the part of Cube ACR that Google Play no longer allows inside the main app. It doesn't record anything by itself. Its Galaxy Store listing puts it this way: "Not a standalone recorder - install and enable alongside Cube ACR."

Why the Helper exists

The vendor's Helper installation guide (last revised April 24, 2023) explains it. After Google's policy update, the Play version of Cube ACR "can no longer ask for permission to enable the Cube ACR app connector in the accessibility services menu." That connector, the guide says, "was essential for detecting the caller on Android 9 and up, recording interlocutor's voice during mobile calls on Android 10 and up, and recording VoIP conversations on all versions of Android."

In plain words: on Android 10 or later, Cube ACR without the Helper can't record the other person. That's Dana's silent contractor.

How to install Cube ACR Helper, per the vendor

The Helper isn't on Google Play. The vendor's site links to it on the Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, the Amazon Appstore and Aptoide, and as a direct APK file. The guide's steps:

1. Install Cube ACR from Google Play.
2. Download Cube ACR Helper from one of those stores, or the APK from cubeacr.app. For the APK, Android asks you to allow installs from that source.
3. Follow the Helper's setup and grant the permissions it requests.
4. At Enable App Connector, open Downloaded apps or Installed services and set Use Cube ACR app connector to On.
5. On Android 13, a Restricted settings pop-up may block that switch. Open Settings > Apps > Cube ACR Helper, tap the three-dot menu, tap Allow restricted settings, then repeat step 4.

Two things to weigh first. You're installing an app from outside Google Play and giving it accessibility access, a broad permission, so only use the links on the vendor's own site.

And the Helper's Galaxy Store page shows 3.0 stars. One reviewer there wrote on June 10, 2026 that after a Samsung update they were "unable to install the helper." The vendor's reply: delete older Helper versions before installing again.

Will Cube ACR work on your phone?

This table gathers what Cube's FAQ, Helper guide and store listings say for each kind of phone. Find your row, then run the test call below.

For internet calls there's one more limit. The FAQ says: "Not all devices are able to record VoIP calls due to the hardware limitations and this can't be fixed on a software level." If you mainly want WhatsApp calls, our guide to how to record a WhatsApp call covers methods that don't depend on your phone model.

And the built-in route? Google's Phone app help lists a Record button on Android 9 or later (on a Pixel 6 or later with Android 14: Call Assist, then Call Recording), in supported countries and on supported carriers.

Samsung's US help page lists a Record icon in the Samsung Phone app on One UI 7.0 or higher. Both notify the other person. Our guide to recording a phone call on Android has the steps, and there's a separate one for Samsung call recording.

Cube ACR on iPhone: a different app

The iPhone version shares the name and little else. Apple doesn't let an App Store app listen to a phone call, so Call Recorder - Cube ACR uses the same trick as other iPhone recorders: a three-way call.

The listing warns: "Your phone carrier needs to support three-way calls for Cube Call Recorder to work!" In a reply to an App Store review dated July 1, 2025, the developer spells out the method: "you have to call the service number before or during your recorded conversation and merge the calls together."

What the listing says you get on iPhone:

• Free: voice memo recording. The listing says to "use a free recording app for your voice memos or get call recording and extra with a Premium subscription."
• Premium: call recording, PIN, Face ID or Touch ID lock, cloud backup, text notes on recordings, and no ads. The iOS terms also list transcription as a Premium extra.
• No Helper. That's Android-only, and the iPhone listing doesn't mention WhatsApp calls.

Before paying, check whether your iPhone already records calls. Since iOS 18, Apple's Phone app has Call Recording in the countries where Apple offers it. Our guide to recording phone calls on iPhone has the steps.

Our list of call recorder apps for iPhone compares the merge-call apps, and our TapeACall review explains the merge steps.

Cube ACR pricing: the free version and Premium

The vendor's site shows no price list; it only says "Find the right Pricing Plan for you or Try For Free!" The prices are in the store listings.

All checked on November 12, 2026. Google Play shows only a price range, so read the exact plan and billing period on the purchase screen before you confirm.

One line in the Galaxy Store listing deserves a second read. "Premium subscription grants access to extra features only. It won't improve your call recording experience. Please check how the basic version works before purchasing the subscription."

That's the vendor telling you, in writing, that paying won't fix a silent recording.

What Cube ACR users report

Store reviews are public user reports, not our findings.

• It worked, then stopped. A Play review dated September 8, 2026 says the app "used to be a dependable app before the helper was added," and that now "the other end is just whistling."
• It works where the built-in recorder is missing. A Galaxy Store review from October 17, 2024 says the Galaxy S24 Ultra sold in Australia has no call recording, "so this apps work well on my S24 ultra."
• iPhone buyers expected one tap. An App Store review from June 27, 2025 objects to having to "call a second number and merge calls just to record a call."
• Support is by email. The vendor's standard reply asks you to write from the app's contact form with the system_info.txt file attached.

The pattern: results depend on the phone model and the Android version, and an update on either side can change them.

Test Cube ACR before you rely on it

Run this on a call that doesn't matter.

1. Check your dialer first. Start a call and look for Record or Call Assist. If it's there, you may not need Cube ACR at all.
2. Install the free version and, on Android 9 or later, the Helper. Turn the app connector on.
3. Record one incoming and one outgoing call. Ask a friend, and tell them it's a recording test.
4. Play both back without a headset. Listen for their voice, not only yours.
5. If you hear only yourself, change one setting at a time. Use the audio source for your Android version from the table, then test again.
6. Decide before you pay. If the free version can't hear the other side, Premium won't either. If it can, back up the recordings you care about, because the vendor can't restore a deleted file.

After any Android or Cube update, repeat step 3.

Where ParrotNotes fits, and where it doesn't

ParrotNotes doesn't capture phone-call audio, on Android or iPhone. It isn't a replacement for Cube ACR.

It does a different job well: recording conversations that happen in the same room, such as a site visit, a client meeting or an interview. It records on your phone, even with the screen off, then writes a transcript, a summary and the action items.

It also fits after the call: the FAQ says you can copy recordings out of the Cube ACR folder or send them to cloud storage, and ParrotNotes can import an audio file and give you the text.

What the free plan includes: 100 minutes of recording a month, up to 30 minutes per recording, an AI summary on every recording and three audio or video imports a month. Pro is $19.99 a month, or $14.99 a month billed annually, with 3,000 minutes of recording a month and up to 3 hours per recording.

Transcription needs an internet connection. Get ParrotNotes for the in-person half of your week. For one short file, the free audio to text tool handles up to 10 minutes.

Consent: tell the other person

Cube ACR's listings don't describe any announcement to the other person. Google's and Samsung's built-in recorders play one. That puts the telling on you, and Cube's own Play listing says so: "Always notify the callee/caller that your conversation will be recorded and ask for their permission."

The rules differ by place, and this is general information, not legal advice. In the US, federal law and most states let you record a call you're part of, while a group of states requires everyone's consent. Our guide to one-party consent states lists each state's rule and what applies when callers are in different states. Outside the US, check your country's law and your employer's policy.

One habit covers every case: ask at the start, and let the yes be the first thing on the recording. Never record someone in secret.

Conclusion: is Cube ACR worth installing?

• Check your own dialer first. Google Phone, Samsung Phone and the iPhone Phone app record calls for free where they're offered. With a Google Voice number, you can also record calls with Google Voice for free (incoming calls on a personal account).
• On Android, Cube ACR is free to try. On Android 9 or later it needs the Helper, which comes from outside Google Play.
• Results depend on your phone. The FAQ lists different settings by Android version, and no fix for headsets.
• On iPhone it's a paid merge-call app. Plans run from $7.99 a week to $49.99 a year, and your carrier must support three-way calls.
• Don't pay to fix a silent recording. The vendor says Premium only adds extras.
• Ask first. Cube ACR's listings describe no announcement, so say it yourself.

Back to Dana. She checks her Galaxy's own Phone app, finds the Record icon, and uses that for the contractor's next call; he hears the notice and says fine.

For the roof walk-through the following week, which is in person, she records with ParrotNotes and sends the owner the summary that afternoon. (Still an illustration.)

For the conversations that happen face to face, download ParrotNotes and let it write the notes.